Strawberry Cake

Strawberry cake takes a basic cake recipe and brightens it up with the addition of berries. Backyard barbeques and neighborhood get-togethers are upon us and there is always a need for someone to bring dessert to these special gatherings. You’ll need a dessert that is both easy to make and simple to serve to a crowd as well as one that travels well. Gooey, fragile desserts need not apply!

Try this basic strawberry cake, a Martha Stewart recipe, which highlights seasonal berries combined with a traditional plain cake. I stuck with the strawberries in the original recipe but I’ll surely expand it this summer to include other fruits like blueberries, raspberries and even peaches and plums.

Arrange the berries in a pattern or gently scatter them on top of your cake batter. The berries will move slightly during baking so don’t fret if your carefully arranged pattern takes an artistic turn in the oven! I served this cake just as it looks with no additional toppings but you could certainly dress it up with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Yield: 1 cake

Strawberry Cake

Try this basic strawberry cake, a Martha Stewart recipe, which highlights seasonal berries combined with a traditional plain cake. I stuck with the strawberries in the original recipe but I'll surely expand it this summer to include other fruits like blueberries, raspberries and even peaches and plums.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

Prepare a pie plate or cake pan with baking spray or coat lightly with melted butter. Dust with flour.

Combine the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extra and beat to combine.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the strawberries on the batter, cut side down then sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons sugar.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Notes

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Living June, 2005

Please note that the original recipe calls for 350 for 15 minutes and then 325 for 45 minutes but I had success with one oven temperature for a shorter period of time.